My friend Dana flew up from Bangkok on Friday, December 12, 2025, and the next afternoon we drove the switchbacks from Mae Chan, Chiang Rai up to Doi Mae Salong in my secondhand Honda Jazz, with two fleece jackets and a bag of tangerines from the market on the back seat. I’d booked us two […]

The post Cool Season in Chiang Rai – Why Hotel PMS Software Matters When You Book first appeared on Chiang Rai Times.

I spent thirty-one years keeping pumps running at a water utility in Toledo, Ohio, and I’ve lived in Chiang Rai since 2019, in a rented house off the road to Mae Chan with a mango tree that drops fruit on the car every April. I learned to dive in the Florida Keys in 1988, when […]

The post Retired in Chiang Rai to Diving in Komodo – A Komodo Island Liveaboard or a Hotel on a Pension? first appeared on Chiang Rai Times.

I’ve run longtail boat trips out of Chiang Saen, Chiang Rai since 2004, mostly the hour up to the Golden Triangle and back, and on good days the long run down to Chiang Khong. My father worked the same stretch of river before me, and he taught me to read it by the color of […]

The post From the Mekong to the Coral Triangle – A Chiang Rai River Guide’s First Raja Ampat Liveaboard first appeared on Chiang Rai Times.

Visiting Thailand during the rainy season can be worth it if you plan around regional weather and stay flexible. Rain doesn’t fall the same way across the country, and showers don’t always last all day. You may find lush scenery, fewer crowds, and lower prices, but heavy rain can also bring flooding, travel delays, and […]

The post Thailand’s Rainy Season: Is It Worth Visiting? first appeared on Chiang Rai Times.

A flood, storm, or landslide can disrupt your Thailand plans fast, but travel insurance won’t automatically cover every loss. Whether you can claim for a canceled hotel, delayed flight, or extra travel costs depends on the policy wording and when you bought the plan. Thailand’s weather risks vary by region and season, so check current […]

The post Travel Insurance and Natural Disasters in Thailand first appeared on Chiang Rai Times.